METHODS
Forty-eight patients (37 males, 11 females) treated between September 1999 and September 2007 were assessed retrospectively.
RESULTS
Ten patients (21%) recurred loco-regionally. Gender (p=0.022), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) (p<0.0001), hemoglobin (Hb) (p=0.0035), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p=0.032) were prognostic for loco-regional control. On multivariate analysis, only PS (p<0.003) remained significant. Eighteen (38%) patients had distant metastases. On univariate analysis, PS (p=0.022), Hb (p=0.002), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p=0.004), LDH (p=0.007), and completion of radiotherapy (p=0.014) were prognostic for distant metastasis. On Cox regression analysis, only LDH (p=0.001) remained significant. There were 27 deaths at the time of analysis. On logrank analysis, PS (p=0.012), completion of radiotherapy (p<0.0001), metastasis (p=0.018), and LDH (p=0.018) were prognostic for overall survival. On Cox regression analysis, only LDH (p=0.026) remained significant.
CONCLUSION
The pre-treatment LDH was prognostic for distant metastasis and overall survival while PS was prognostic for loco-regional control.
Keywords: LDH level; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; performance status; radiotherapy
